Non-lethal weapons are designed to incapacitate the target, and when properly used do not result in any injuries, fatalities or after effects. Non-lethal weapons in the form of aerosol sprays capable of temporarily incapacitating a target have shown great use both for enforcement and defensive purposes. These non-lethal sprays are particularly useful in close proximity encounters, such as breaking up a bar fight or intervening in a domestic disturbance; stopping fleeing suspects; in hostage or terrorist situations; in barricade situations, where the subject is violent, but has not taken a hostage; and generally in crowd control or riot situations.
Aerosol sprays commercially available are of three types: chloroacetophenone (CN) commonly known as mace, orthochlorobenzylidenemalononitrile (CS) commonly known as tear gas, and oleoresin capsicum (OC) also known as pepper spray. Both mace and tear gas are lachrymators that cause tearing and irritation. However, they have no effect on those who are enraged or are under the influence of narcotics, or alcohol. Pepper sprays contain an extract of hot pepper and act as an inflammatory agent causing closing of the eyes and coughing
Initial aerosol type formulations were of the lachrymator type, such as Chemical Mace® lachrymator, included various types of liquid based CN chemical formulae in pressurized aerosol spray containers. However, the lachrymator agents used in such sprays contain highly toxic and/or cancer causing chemicals. Furthermore, such technology used environmentally unfriendly carrier agent/solvents such as trichlorotrifluoroethanes (CFC's 111, 113) and cosmetic kerosene.
In an effort to overcome these problems, a pepper based inflammatory spray technology was developed and first introduced through the CAP-STUN® brand pepper spray in 1982 introduced into the self-protection market. Pepper sprays are available with various concentration of capsaicin (capsaicinoids), which is the primary ingredient producing the effects of pepper spray. Various types of pepper sprays have since come into existence; however, the technology of pepper spray is still basically unchanged since its inception.
Even though pepper sprays and other lachrymators are generally effective for self-defense purposes, improvements are still desired, particularly in decreasing the time for incapacitation while avoiding long term effects on the target. Law enforcement officials would like to be able to incapacitate a suspect for a sufficient time to allow immobilization while decreasing time spent under the influence of the pepper spray active ingredient. Excessive exposure to capsaicin may result in permanent harm or injury to the recipient, particularly damage to the eyes, skin, or upper respiratory tract. This has left unmet the need for an effective, shorter duration spray that can be used without long-term harm to the recipient, while reducing or eliminating any impact on the user and any bystanders, and reducing any adverse effects on the environment.
Other problems arise with defense spray applications, such as in pepper sprays and mace, where the spray is directed to the facial area. Here the solvent formulation requirements are stricter since they are intentionally sprayed on an individuals face, with exposure to eyes, skin and the respiratory system. Therefore, the solvent formulation should also pass toxicological tests showing no damage to the eyes, skin or upper respiratory tract. Furthermore, the solvent formulation must be miscible with the active ingredients in the defense spray.
The mechanism of action of capsaicin is known. It stimulates a nerve pathway, that of C-fiber sensory neurons, involved in the perception of pain. Although pepper sprays are effective, they currently have two defects. First, the duration of pain that they cause is excessively long, causing suffering. Second, they have been reported to be life threatening for a subpopulation of people, who suffer from asthma and have hypersensitive airways, although the magnitude of this concern is questioned. The current invention provides a composition, methods of use that overcome the above deficiencies, together with a manufacture incorporating such compositions.